Ankle-brace



w. w. LASHER.

ANKLE BRACE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-25, I9I9.

1,332,047. I Patented Feb. 24,1920.

oivrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS W. LASHER, OF RAHWAY, NEW JERSEY, AS SIGNOR TO NEWTON D. BAKER,

' SECRETARY OF WAR, TRUSTEE.

' ANKLE-.BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 25, 1919. Serial Ito. 326,412

(FILED UivnER THE ACT or MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. n, 625.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS W. YLASHER,

1st lieut., Medical Corps, a citizen of the United States, while stationed at Rahway, New Jersey, invented an Improvement in Ankle-Braces, of which the following is a specification. The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its officers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment of any royalty thereon. p

The presentinvention relates to new and useful improvements in ankle braces and specifically to an ankle-brace in combination with a foot support. 1

One object of the invention is to provide a brace of the kind described, which shall be simple in construction, cheap to manufacture and durable in use.

A further object is to produce afbrace which shall offer such a degree of support as to permit the wearer to walk, in a normal manner, in cases where the injured member has been weakened by injury or disuse.

A further object is to construct a brace which shall perform the desired functions without limiting or interfering with the joints of the bones of the foot, thus affording the wearer the necessary support, without so depriving him of the use of the foot-bones as to lead to inflammation or stiffness of the joints.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a brace of the class described which shall be capable of being attached to or built in the shoe of the wearer, and which may be worn beneath the wearers clothing. The latter features make the present brace particularly desirable, especially in the case of military use, where the brace may be worn under the leggings without discomfort to the wearer. By having a brace built into or forming a permanent attachment to the shoe, the brace may be quickly applied.

The support provided by the present invention is not lessened by the use of hinges, adjustable extensions, etc., nor are these auxiliary devices necessary. A firm, rigid support is given the wearer and the device is of the simplest form.

With these and further objects in view as will. appear from time to time in the attached description and claims, reference is now made for a better understanding of the invention to the accompanying drawin showing various views of one form of t e device.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a side view of the device in use, attached to the shoe and the limb ofthe wearer.

Fig. '2 is a bottom plan view of a shoe with the brace attached.

Fig. 3 is a back view in elevation of the brace in use, but with the flexible attaching means unbuckled.

The brace consists of a foot support 1 attached by a rivet as shown 1, or other means, to the instep of the shoe 2. The foot support lies in the median line of the instep and passes through a channel cut through the edge of the heel.

Attached to the foot support, or formed integrally therewith as maybe desired, is, a

standard 4, which extends upwardly along the leg and which is bent to conform to the shape of the leg. The standard 4 as will be seen follows the back seam of the shoe but is passed through slits 9 in the flexible member and this permits of adjusting the attaching member to make a close fit.

The combination of the standard attached to the limb, and the foot support attached to the soleof the shoe, provides a firm support for the ankle and for the arch of the foot. The brace, however, in no way interferes with the movement of the muscles and bones of the foot but permits the wearer to receive the full benefit to be derived from exercise.

To provide lateral support, the standard 4 has attached to it a pair of lateral braces 5, 5. These braces are attached to the standard at a point some distance above the point of attachment to the foot-support, and are formed partially to encircle the heel of the Patented eb. 24, 1920.

heel 3, extending slightly beyond the rear I foot, extending downwardly and forwardly with their ends lying substantially in the plane of the foot support. The ends of the braces are attached to the heel on either side as at 5, 5:. It will be clear that the combination of the standard and the lateral braces gives a firm meansoi support to the ankle and prevents lateral movement,- turning of the ankle-which mi ht cause serious injury where the joint is already in a weakened condition.

As will be evident from the description and drawings, the novel brace is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture. It is quickly attached, since it is unnecessary to remove it from the shoe and there is then but one adjustment to be made by the wearer, The brace provides a firm support, without preventin thewearer from deriving benefit from walking or other exercise.

I claim asnew and desire to secure by, Letters Patent is: p

1. In an ankle brace, a foot support adapted to be secured to a shoe, a standard attached to saidsupport, means for attaching the standard to the limb ofthewearer, and a pair of lateral braces extending from said standard, the free ends of said lateral,

braceslying substantially in the plane of said foot support, and adapted to be attached to said shoe.

2. In an ankle brace, a foot support of a shoe and capable of attachment thereto, 7 a standard rigidly attached to said support,

means; for attaching said standard to the limb of the wearer, and a pair of lateral braces extending downwardly at an angle from'said standard, the free ends ofsaid members being adapted to be secured'to said shoe.

4. An ankle brace comprising a foot support, a standard attached thereto, and a pair of lateral braces extending from said standard, thcfree ends of said braces lying substantially in the plane of said support,

and adapted to be attached to said shoe.

5. In an ankle brace, the combination with a shoe, of a foot support, attached thereto, an upright standard rigidly attached to said support, a flexible metal attaching member on said standard conformable in shape to the limb of the wearer, means on said attaching member to attach the standard to the limb of the wearer, and a pair of laterally downwardly extending braces,- the free ends of said braces lying substantially in the plane of said support, and being capable of attachment to said shoe.-

VW'ILLIS WV. LASHER. 

